From humble beginnings to 100 years of commerce, Miracle Mile a unique shopping district

Monday

Feb 25, 2019 at 12:23 PMFeb 25, 2019 at 12:23 PM

Roger Phillips Record Staff Writer @rphillipsblog

STOCKTON — Though the centennial is still three years away, the leaders who oversee the Miracle Mile are beginning to think about the how to celebrate the neighborhood’s 100th anniversary.

The history, based on The Record’s archives and on research conducted nearly a decade ago by preservationist Joy Neas, has been colorful:

• What would become the Miracle Mile originally was annexed by voters and at the time it became part of Stockton it was the city’s northernmost neighborhood.

• The Miracle Mile, according to accounts, was named after Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile, a tree-lined stretch of Wilshire Boulevard. It was the idea of developer Joe Plecarpo.

• By the 1950s, the Miracle Mile had become one of the city’s busiest shopping districts. Favorite spots lining the Miracle Mile included the Milky Way malt shop, Konrad’s soda fountain, Gaines Market, and clothiers like Bravo-McKeegan and The Brown House.

Choosing 2022 as the centennial year probably is a rough estimate. In fact, one article in The Record's archives says, “When exactly shops and homes gelled into the district is loosely pegged to 1921.”

Regardless, the Miracle Mile today maintains its special character.

“The Miracle Mile is very unique,” Kim Byrd, president of the board of the Miracle Mile Improvement District, said recently. “It has different personalities. It’s eclectic. I think that’s what makes it special to the community.”

A dizzying series of events has marked much of the Mile’s past two years, including the shuttering of the Empire Theatre and resignation of two executive directors.

Byrd said the MMID’s board is preparing for a meeting next month where the focus will be on developing a “strategic plan.”

“There are a lot of irons in the fire,” said Byrd, owner of Moore’s Chinese Martial Arts & Yoga Dojo in the heart of the Miracle Mile. “We’re not skipping a beat.”

Byrd, 52, said she is hopeful progress will be made this year with regard to the Empire Theatre.

Regardless, though, she said the Mile will remain a focal point in the city nearly 100 years after its humble beginnings.

“It’s not one size fits all,” Byrd said. “It’s not beige. It has a lot of color and diversity. I think that’s what makes it special to the community. It’s important to me that it thrive.”